Noninvasiv sebészet MR-vezérelt fókuszált ultrahanggal: állatkísérletes modellek és klinikai tapasztalatok = Noninvasive surgery using MR-guided focused ultrasound: animal models and clinical experience

Az MR vezérelt fókuszált ultrahang sebészet (MRgFUS) noninvasiv módon képes a szervezet belsejében daganatos sejteket elpusztítani. Kutatásainkban 1.) állatkísérletes modellen vizsgáltuk az ultrahang kontrasztanyag potencírozó szerepét, valamint 2.) humán méh mióma kezelés hatékonyságának korai és középtávú kiértékelése volt MR képalkotás utánktövetéses vizsgálatok alapján. A FUS kezelés mikrobuborékos UH-kontrasztanyaggal való potencírozása kísérletsorozatunkban sikeresnek tekinthető. A csúcshőmérséklet kontrollhoz képest mért 132%-os átlagos növekedése bizonyítja, hogy elvárásainknak megfelelően a mikrobuborékok felületén jelentős a hangenergia-elnyelődés. A patkányvese jól perfundált szervként nagy koncentrációban tartalmazott mikrobuborékokat. A környező szövetek az esetek túlnyomó többségében nem károsodtak, így a szelektivitást is megfelelőnek értékelhetjük. Negyvenhárom betegen 3 és 6 hónapos MRI utánkövetéses vizsgálatok során értékeltük a kezelt miómák teljes volumenének, valamint a nem perfundált térfogatok változását. Szignifikáns mióma volumen csökkenés volt megfigyelhető 3 és 6 hónappal a kezelést követően (10-19%, p=0.022 és 19-29%, p<0.001). Az 5,4 cm alatti átmérőjű miómáknál nagy hatékonyságúnak bizonyult az MRgFUS eljárás, minthogy ebben az alcsoportban a csökkenés mértéke 35-18% volt. Eredményeink arra engednek következtetni, hogy kisebb miómák esetében hatékonyabb kezelés várható, amely a nagyobb arányú kezelhető térfogattal magyarázható. | MR-guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) is an evolving thermoablative technique for treatment of different benign and malignant tumors. The aim of this research project was 1,) to assess the effect of ultrasound contrast media on MRgFUS using animal experiments and 2.) to evaluate early and mid term effectiveness of MRgFUS in human uterine leiomyoma (fibroid) treatment based on MR imaging follow-up exams. MRgFUS treatment is more effective if ultrasound contrast media (microbubbles) are also present in the perfused area. Peak temperature increased with 132%, proving that acoustic energy is increasingly absorbed on the surface of the microbubbles. The perfused rat kidney was a well perfused organ for these experiments. Neighboring tissues had no major damage, proving sufficient selectivity. In the human study, 43 patients with uterine fibroids were treated by MRgFUS. MRI follow-up exams were performed 3 and 6 months after the procedure. Fibroid total and nonperfused volumes were compared and evaluated over time. There was a significant fibroid volume reduction at 3- and 6-month follow-up (10?19%, p=0.022 and 19-29%, p<0.001, respectively). Fibroids smaller than 5.4 cm in diameter can be ablated with high efficacy, in this subgroup of patients 35-18% volume reduction was found after 6 months. This study suggests that MRgFUS can be an effective alternative in uterine fibroid treatment in selected patients

Az arteria anonyma szűkületeinek minimálisan invazív, endovascularis terápiája sikeres és biztonságos = Percutaneous, endovascular treatment of innominate artery lesions is a safe and effective procedure

Az arteriaanonyma-stenosisok kezelésében az intervenciós radiológia (ballonkatéteres tágítás, illetve stentbeültetés) beavatkozásai kerültek túlsúlyba a sebészi terápia helyett. A szerzők az anonymaszűkületek kezelése során nyert tapasztalataikat mutatják be az olvasóközönségnek. A nemzetközi irodalomban fellelhető két legnagyobb esetszámú retrospektív analízisük beteganyagából emelnek ki két beteget, akik példáján az arteriaanonyma-laesiók kivizsgálását, kezelését, majd utánkövetését illusztrálják. A megbeszélésben pedig részletes irodalmi áttekintéssel támasztják alá e kezelés eredményességét és biztonságosságát. A 74 éves dohányzó férfi beteg hypertonia, hypercholesterinaemia és alsó végtagi claudicatio korábbi diagnózisaival, szédüléssel és felső végtagi claudicatióval jelentkezett. Kivizsgálása során 30 Hgmm felső végtagi vérnyomáskülönbség, a carotis-Doppler-ultrahangon szignifikáns stenosisra utaló poststenoticus nyomásgörbe, az arteria vertebralisban retrográd áramlás volt kimutatható. Diagnosztikus angiográfia során 80%-os stenosist igazoltak az arteria anonymán, amit egy ülésben primer ballonkatéteres tágítással és stentbeültetéssel oldottak meg. A beteg öt hónapos utánkövetése során neurológiai komplikáció vagy szignifikáns restenosis nem igazolódott. A második beteg 59 éves, szintén dohányzó nőbeteg volt, aki ismert hypertoniában és 2-es típusú diabetes mellitusban szenvedett. A beteg jobb felső végtagi zsibbadással jelentkezett kivizsgálásra, amely során szubokkluzív arteriaanonyma-szűkület igazolódott. A diagnosztikus angiográfiát megelőző fizikális vizsgálat a jobb felső végtagon radialis pulzus hiányát igazolta, egyidejűleg az arteria carotis communisban proximalis, szignifikáns szűkületre utaló nyomásgörbe volt fellelhető. Primer ballontágítást követően a beteg 15 hónapos utánkövetési idő után is panasz- és tünetmentes, preoperatív tünetei nem tértek vissza, új neurológiai tünetek nem alakultak ki. Az esettanulmány két betegen illusztrálja a szerzők nagy esetszámú retrospektív tanulmányaik során nyert tapasztalatait, melyek szerint a transfemoralis arteriaanonyma-intervenció stentbeültetéssel vagy a nélkül jó sikerrátájú, biztonságos, napjainkban elsődlegesen választandó terápiás beavatkozás. Az irodalmi áttekintés adatai megerősítik, hogy az a. anonyma intervenciós radiológiai kezelése, ballonos tágítása, illetve stentelése eredményes és biztonságos. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 1745–1750. | Percutaneous endovascular treatment (transluminar balloon angioplasty with or without stent implantation) of innominate artery lesions has become the treatment of choice prior to surgery in the past decades. Authors present the diagnostics, treatment and follow-up of two patients as examples from their largest series in the literature. A 74-year-old male patient with a history of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, nicotine abuse and lower limb claudication was admitted because of acute upper limb claudication and dizziness. Physical examination revealed blood pressure difference of 30 mmHg between his arms, and poststenotic flow pattern in the common carotid artery with retrograde flow in the vertebral artery on carotid duplex scan. Diagnostic angiography showed 80% stenosis of the innominate artery, which was treated with percutaneous transluminar balloon angioplasty with stent implantation. Follow-up examination at 5 months showed no significant restenosis or neurological complication. The second patient was a 59-year-old smoker female patient with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus, who was evaluated for her upper limb claudication. Initial finding was the absence of radial pulse in the right side. Color duplex scan revealed proximal subocclusion, which was confirmed by angiography. In one stage, balloon angioplasty was made, with immediate pain relief. After 15 months the patient was symptom-free. These two cases demonstrate an excellent outcome of endovascular treatment of innominate artery lesions, as authors already reported in two retrospective studies. Balloon angioplasty with, or without stent deployment appears to be a safe procedure with excellent primary success rate. Review of international studies also indicates that endovascular therapy of the innominate artery is safe and effective. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 1745–1750

Thoracic aortic strain can affect endograft sizing in young patients

Aortic computed tomography angiography (CTA) examination with electrocardiography gating is becoming the clinical routine image acquisition protocol for diagnosis and intervention planning. To minimize motion artifact, the images are reconstructed in the diastolic phase of the cardiac cycle. The aim of our study was to quantify aortic strain in an elderly nonaneurysmatic patient cohort and to identify the phases of the R-R cycle that correspond to the minimal and maximal aortic diameters. The quantification of aortic strain may enable the improvement of intervention planning and the introduction of more effective dose-saving protocols for CTA scans. Methods: We assessed CTA images of 28 patients (14 men; mean age, 74 years). Aortic calcium score was calculated on native images. Angiography images were reconstructed in equally spaced 10 phases of the R-R cycle. After semiautomatic centerline analysis, we measured the cross-sectional areas in each of the 10 phases at 9 specific segments between the ascending aorta and the common iliac bifurcation representing the attachment sites of thoracic and abdominal stent grafts. Area-derived effective diameter, pulsatility (Amax L Amin), and strain [(Amax L Amin)/Amin] were calculated. Repeated measurements were taken to evaluate inter-reader and intrareader reproducibility (10-10 patients each). Results: A total of 4320 measurements were performed. We found significant difference between diastolic and systolic diameters (DD,Z0 [ 33.2, DS,Z0 [ 34.4; P < .001). Pulsatility values of the vessel diameters were 1.0 to 1.1 mm in the thoracic aorta, 0.7 to 0.9 mm in the abdominal aorta, and 0.5 to 0.6 mm in the common iliac arteries. Negative, moderate correlations were found between aortic strain and age (r [ L0.586; P [ .001), aortic strain and plaque area (r [ L0.429; P [ .026), and age and body mass index (r [ L0.412; P [ .029). We found positive, moderate correlation between age and plaque area (r[0.594; P[.001). The aortic pulsatility curve has a positive extreme at 30% and a negative extreme at 90% of the R-R cycle throughout the aorta. Lin concordance coefficients were 0.987 for inter-reader and 0.994 for intrareader correlations. Conclusions: Aortic strain can be reliably quantified on electrocardiography-gated CTA images. Pulsatility of the aorta can be substantial in the thoracic aortic segments of young patients; therefore, the routine use of systolic images is not recommended. In addition, we demonstrated that images at 30% of the heart cycle correspond to the largest diameter of the aorta

A krónikus kritikus végtagischaemia invazív kezelésének hosszú távú eredményei

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: Surgical tibial bypass for critical limb ischemia is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and graft failure, whereas percutaneous angioplasty and stenting has promising results. The objective of this study was the investigation of the long term results of below-knee percutaneous angioplasty for restoring straight inline arterial flow in patients with critical limb ischemia. METHOD: The clinical and angiographic data of 281 consecutive patients with critical limb ischemia treated by PTA between 2008 and 2011 was evaluated in a prospective register. The aim of the revascularization was to achieve a straight inline flow to the wound with balloon angioplasty. Stent implantation was done in the case of recoil and flow limiting dissection. Primary end points were clinical success (relief of resting pain, healing of ulceration, limb survival) and major adverse events (death, myocardial infarction, major unplanned amputation, need for surgical revascularization, or major bleeding). Secondary end points were the angiographic result of the intervention, procedural data and consumption of angioplasty equipment. The impact of diabetic leg syndrome and the result of the angioplasty on the limb salvage was also investigated. We have analysed the impact of major amputation on long term mortality. RESULTS: Mean age of patients was 72.5 +/- 10.6 years and the follow-up period was 40.8 +/- 9.7 months. Technical success was reached in 255 (90.7%) of the patient's: 255 limbs straight inline flow with good angiographic result was restored to at least one tibial vessel. Balloon angioplasty, stent implantation and rotational atherectomy was performed in 278 (98.9%), 74 (26.3%) and 2 patients (0.7%). From clinical end points the rest pain was ceased in 56.6%, the ulcer and the gangrena was healed in 73.5% and 46.5%. The long term limb survival was 73.5%; 65.8% in diabetic and 89.6% in non-diabetic leg syndrome (p = 0.001). The major adverse events at long-term follow-up occured in 122 (43.8%) patients. Death occured in 57 (20.3%) of the patients during the long-term follow-up: 38 (13.5%) vs. 19 (6.8%) in diabetic vs. non-diabetic leg subgroup, respectively (p = 0.932). Long-term limb saving occured in 72.3% vs. 84.6% of the patients dependening the procedure was successful or unsuccessful (p = 0.225). CONCLUSION: Below-knee stent angioplasty for critical limb ischemia results in good clinical outcome, but the major adverse event rate is high. Diabetes mellitus is associated with a high rate of mortality and amputation. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(11), 418-425

Freezing motions of the intimal flap after acute aortic dissection with ECG-gated CT angiography

CT angiography is the gold standard imaging modality in acute aortic dissection. Recent achievements in technology made image acquisition quick enough for the ECG-gated angiography of the whole aorta during one breath-hold. Latest versions of iterative image reconstruction algorithms and low-noise x-ray detectors resulted in significant dose and/or image noise reduction, both being comparable to conventional non-ECG-gated scans (1). This huge progression in non-invasive diagnostic testing allows us to clearly visualize the undulating intimal flap in acute aortic dissection and to accurately assess side-branch involvement and ostial anatomy (2). Understanding the motion characteristics of the intimal septum is fundamental in the planning of targeted interventions which can lead to better prognosis. In this collage, we demonstrate the typical patterns of intimomedial membrane motion at those specific levels of the thoracic and abdominal aorta requiring special attention when evaluating acute aortic dissection with ECG-gated CT angiography

Fractional flow reserve in below the knee arteries with critical limb ischemia and validation against gold-standard morphologic, functional measures and long term clinical outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to assess the applicability of fractional flow reserve measurement (FFR) in below-the-knee (BTK) arteries and to evaluate its correlation with non-invasive functional parameters before and after angioplasty. METHODS: We enrolled 39 patients with severe BTK arterial lesions. Inclusion criteria were critical limb ischemia (Rutherford 4-6) and angiographically proven arterial stenosis of the distal lower limb (percent diameter stenosis >/=70%). Exclusion criteria were chronic total occlusion, diabetic foot syndrome and non-viable distal lower limb. The transstenotic distal/proximal pressure ratio was measured under resting (Pd/Pa) and hyperemic (FFR) conditions induced by 40mg intra-arterial Papaverin and was compared with quantitative angiography-, laser Doppler- and duplex ultrasound-derived measurements before and after percutaneous angioplasty (PTA). RESULTS: Comparing measurements before and after PTA, we found significant improvements in the resting Pd/Pa values (0.79 [0.67-0.90] vs 0.90 [0.85-0.97]; p<0.001) and FFR values (0.60+/-0.19 vs 0.76+/-0.15; p<0.001), respectively. At baseline, Pd/Pa ratio and FFR were significantly albeit weakly correlated with % area stenosis (r:-0.31, p=0.05 and r:-0.31, p=0.05, respectively). After PTA, neither Pd/Pa nor FFR remained correlated with % area stenosis. Similarly, prior PTA, Pd/Pa ratio and FFR were significantly correlated with TcO2% and perfusion unit change (r:0.48, p<0.01 and r:0.34, p<0.05, respectively), but after intervention, these significant correlations vanished. Pd/Pa and FFR values did not show correlation with duplex ultrasound-derived measurements. At 1year, major adverse events (MAEs) and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular (MACCEs) were observed in 7 (17.9%) and in 9 (23.1%) patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: CLI due to severe BTK arterial disease was associated with several impediments of baseline pressure measurements which were significantly improved after successful PTA and stenting. Significant relationships between pressure data and functional and imaging parameters existed prior intervention but vanished after. Further studies are required to determine the clinical value of pre- and post-PTA pressure measurements in BTK arterial disease

Echolucent or predominantly echolucent femoral plaques predict early restenosis after eversion carotid endarterectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Although the association between vulnerable lesions and cardiovascular events is well established, little is known about their relationship to postsurgery restenosis. To address this issue, we initiated a prospective, nonrandomized study to examine the femoral plaques on both sides in patients who were undergoing eversion carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and were longitudinally followed-up for early restenosis development. METHODS: The final analysis enrolled 321 patients (189 women) with a median age of 67.0 years (interquartile range, 59.0-73.0 years), who underwent eversion CEA (2005 to 2007). Using duplex ultrasound scanning, we evaluated 321 common femoral atherosclerotic lesions on the day before CEA. A quantitative scale was used to grade the size of plaques as grade 1, one or more small plaques ( or = 50% was detected in 33 patients (10.28%) in the operated region. Neither the size (grade 1, P = .793; grade 2, P = .540; grade 3, P = .395) nor the surface characteristics of the femoral plaques (smooth, P = .278; irregular, P = .281; ulcerated, P = .934) were significantly different between the patients with and without carotid restenosis. Echolucent-predominantly echolucent femoral lesions were an independent predictor of recurrent carotid stenosis (adjusted odds ratio, 5.63; 95% confidence interval, 2.14-10.89; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound evaluation of femoral plaque morphology before CEA can be useful for identifying patients at higher risk for carotid restenosis

Esmolol is noninferior to metoprolol in achieving a target heart rate of 65 beats/min in patients referred to coronary CT angiography: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Coronary CT angiography (CTA) is an established tool to rule out coronary artery disease. Performance of coronary CTA is highly dependent on patients' heart rates (HRs). Despite widespread use of beta-blockers for coronary CTA, few studies have compared various agents used to achieve adequate HR control. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess if the ultrashort-acting beta-blocker intravenous esmolol is at least as efficacious as the standard of care intravenous metoprolol for HR control during coronary CTA. METHODS: Patients referred to coronary CTA with a HR >65 beats/min despite oral metoprolol premedication were enrolled in the study. We studied 412 patients (211 male; mean age, 57 +/- 12 years). Two hundred four patients received intravenous esmolol, and 208 received intravenous metoprolol with a stepwise bolus administration protocol. HR and blood pressure were recorded at arrival, before, during, immediately after, and 30 minutes after the coronary CTA scan. RESULTS: Mean HRs of the esmolol and metoprolol groups were similar at arrival (78 +/- 13 beats/min vs 77 +/- 12 beats/min; P = .65) and before scan (68 +/- 7 beats/min vs 69 +/- 7 beats/min; P = .60). However, HR during scan was lower in the esmolol group vs the metoprolol group (58 +/- 6 beats/min vs 61 +/- 7 beats/min; P < .0001), whereas HRs immediately and 30 minutes after the scan were higher in the esmolol group vs the metoprolol group (68 +/- 7 beats/min vs 66 +/- 7 beats/min; P = .01 and 65 +/- 8 beats/min vs 63 +/- 8 beats/min; P < .0001; respectively). HR </=65 beats/min was reached in 182 of 204 patients (89%) who received intravenous esmolol vs 162 of 208 of the patients (78%) who received intravenous metoprolol (P < .05). Of note, hypotension (systolic BP <100 mm Hg) was observed right after the scan in 19 patients (9.3%) in the esmolol group and in 8 patients (3.8%) in the metoprolol group (P < .05), whereas only 5 patients (2.5%) had hypotension 30 minutes after the scan in the esmolol group compared to 8 patients (3.8%) in the metoprolol group (P = .418). CONCLUSION: Intravenous esmolol with a stepwise bolus administration protocol is at least as efficacious as the standard of care intravenous metoprolol for HR control in patients who undergo coronary CTA